What does fate have to do with our Personal Legend? (by Mike)

There’s an important difference between blind fate and the path of the personal legend. When we speak of fate, man’s free will is absent: we are merely puppets in the hands of a cold and distant puppeteer.
In the case of personal legend, there’s the dimension of mission. This means that the person has to actively wish to thread down the path that will enable her to flourish. It is a difficult path, there are many obstacles, but it’s the person’s choice. There is always the possibility for us to turn our backs to our personal legend.

Can the heart be wrong? (by Antonya)

How will you judge that? With your mind? If you do this, you will always find ways to discredit your heart. But these are illusions.
Think of your heart as an instrument that goes beyond the typical right and wrong views. Your heart will always be your north star in life – as long as you listen to it and give it a chance to talk to you.

If the Universe says No, sometimes more than once, to something you really want, what do you do? (by Angie)

If your wish is deep-rooted in your soul, persist. If not – the Universe is simply echoing your inner turmoil.
Always ask yourself how far are you able to go in the path of your dreams. Only when you are capable of answering that question will you be able to move forward.
But don’t forget: to enjoy the rainbow, you must also enjoy the rain

When I first had this video pop up in my email box I instantly disliked the theme and figured I’d watch it, post it and blast it.  Sometimes a funny thing happens when you take a couple of minutes to actually listen tosomething before you judge it….and that’s what happened with this video.

After actually watching this video and listening to Mr. Porter talk I had to admit …… he makes some excellent points and brings up some valid questions. Many are points that I struggle with as a Father teaching my Son and some are even issues that I struggle with as a Father/Son/Man myself in my daily life.

• How ARE we raising our sons? our daughters?
• What DOES it mean to be a man in today’s world?
• What role do we as “the man” play in the modern version of the world?
• How do you “humanize” the negative parts of the “man box” without “feminizing” the man?
  

I’d love to get your input after you watch this video …

10 Man Things To Prevent Domestic & Sexual Violence

1. Acknowledge and understand how male dominance
and aspects of unhealthy manhood are at the foundation of
domestic and sexual violence.

2. Examine and challenge our individual beliefs and
the role that we play in supporting men who are abusive.

3. Recognize and stop colluding with other men by
getting out of our socially defined roles, and take a stance to
prevent domestic and sexual violence.

4. Remember that our silence is affirming. When we
choose not to speak out against domestic and sexual violence,
we are supporting it.

5. Educate and re-educate our sons and other young
men about our responsibility in preventing domestic and sexual
violence.

6.”Break out of the man box”- Challenge traditional
images of manhood that stop us from actively taking a stand in
domestic and sexual violence prevention.

7. Accept and own our responsibility that domestic
and sexual violence will not end until men become part of the
solution to end it. We must take an active role in creating a
cultural and social shift that no longer tolerates violence and
discrimination against women and girls.

8. Stop supporting the notion that domestic and
sexual violence is due to mental illness, lack of anger
management skills, chemical dependency, stress, etc… Domestic
and sexual violence is rooted in male dominance and the
socialization of men.

9. Take responsibility for creating appropriate and
effective ways to educate and raise awareness about domestic
and sexual violence prevention.

10. Create responsible and accountable men’s
initiatives in your community to support domestic and sexual
violence prevention.

Copyright © 2004, ACT Men Inc. All rights

info@acalltomen.org

Many of you have probably already seen (or heard of) the following commencement speech from Steve Jobs at Stanford in the spring of 2005.

As we’re hitting the end of the year I’m finding myself in one of those inevitable life evaluation phases that happens so frequently around the end of the year, around landmark birthdays, after some traumatic/dramatic life event or after the death of a loved one.  As we hit the end of the year (or one of those other touch points mentioned above) it makes sense to at least momentarily sit down and figure out if your life is on the path that you’d like to see it on. If the reality doesn’t match the vision you have … you make adjustments.  If the reality and vision match up then you try to figure out what you’re doing right so you can continue being successful.  During these re-evaluation periods I find that videos/speeches like this one are great think pieces and guideposts.  I’ve pulled out three of the major points that hit me from it … but please don’t stop with reading the quotes.

Watch – or re-watch – this video!

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“….you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”

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“ It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.”

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“No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

After watching it I’d love to hear any thoughts or feedback that you might have on this topic.

• Do you have a video/quote that you like?
• How are you teaching your kids to evaluate their goals/decisions/plans for the next year or next couple of years?
• How often do sit down and evaluate your life’s path (yearly, monthly, when you need to, never)?

Today in Michigan is primary election day.

Today’s one of those days when we can learn who’s serious and who’s just part of the peanut gallery barking at those on the field but unwilling to actually do something.

Look, since the time this country started fighting for it’s freedom we’ve had over 1,095,000 US soldiers die in wars for this country.

Can we really not find 10 minutes to vote?

For most of us, sadly, it won’t take much more time than that because according to projections we’re looking at only about 20% of the registered voters actually voting.

Don’t just vote though, make this into a learning experience for your children.  Part of our responsibility as citizens, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles is helping our junior family members understand the importance of history and their role in leading this country forward in a way that will build on that history.

So pickup your kids and take them with you to the polling place.  On the way explain why voting is important and why Founding Fathers George, Tom, Ben and the boys put EVERYTHING on the line to pry King George III’s fingers off of our country. Mention that number up above….

Over 1,095,00 US Soldiers have died in wars protecting our freedoms

That number doesn’t include all of the good men and women that didn’t sacrifice their lives for us but did suffer life changing physical, mental and emotional damage that they carried with them for the rest of their days.

Point out the schools, police officers, public parks, fire stations and road crews that you pass on the way and explain where the money for them comes from.

When you get to the polling place show them how you sign in and why they check your ID.

Take the time to show them the ballot and how you have to fill it out.

Show them the millage or other issues that you’re voting on and what that means (millage = tax dollars = Mom & Dad’s money) and why caring about that matters (remember those schools, cops, firemen, parks, etc. that you passed earlier?).

When my son and I went earlier they even gave him a little voting demonstration slip (practice ballot) for him to bring with me and we voted together.

Show them how you submit the completed ballot and why it’s a “secret ballot” and what that means.

Then grab an “I Voted Today” sticker and let them slap it on their shirt.

Walk out of there proud and thank them for their help.

Then … and this may be the most important part – explain to them that what they just did is something that not everyone else in the world can do.  Let them know that most of the people in this country have forgotten their responsibility to do it and forgotten all those good people that died for us so we could live in a FREE country.

It reminds me of a high school coach that once explained there were three kinds of folks in the world.  He put it in the context of moving a large load in a big wagon (the wagon and load representing our society, world, etc.).

First there were the PUSHERS who got behind the wagon and put everything they had into moving the wagon forward.  Then there were the PULLERS.  Like the PUSHERS they were responsible for moving the wagon forward but instead of pushing the wagon they were out in front pulling it forward.  They had the added responsibility of not only moving the wagon forward but also of helping steer it in the direction that they wanted it to go. Then there were the RIDERS.  These were the folks that didn’t do anything but sit and let themselves be moved forward by the efforts of the PUSHERS and PULLERS.

• PUSHERS – Work hard to move things forward.
• PULLERS – Work hard to move things forward while guiding the way.
• RIDERS – Sit and let everyone else do the work.

Today, 80% of our fellow citizens will elect to be RIDERS.

Today, 80% of our fellow citizens will delegate the work to the rest of us.

Today, 80% of our fellow citizens will leave the decision on where we go to us.

If you care about the future your child is going to inherit.

If you care about their safety.

If you care about their education.

If you care about their standard of living.

If you care about their ability to enjoy the same freedoms we have today ….

You must not be a RIDER.

You’ve got to be a member of the 20% PUSHING and PULLING to move us forward.

YOU MUST VOTE!

P.S. – If you can’t take your kids with you that doesn’t mean you can’t still teach them all of the same things. Click the link below and you can even print a sample ballot for yourself that you can give to your child for their own practice vote –

Find My Sample Ballot

(This post originally appeared in August 2010)

After a couple of weeks covering education and school topics (including the need for reforming the school lunch program and the reforms modeled in the movie and book “Waiting For Superman” ) and arguing the need, especially in this election, to not only make informed decisions but then hold these politicians accountable we figured it was only fair to interview a politician fighting for our votes.  We were fortunate enough to not only land a politician but to land an interview with Lt. Gov. candidate Brian Calley.  Calley, together with Rick Snyder, if the current polls hold out will be a key member of the team re-shaping Michigan for at least the next four years. Jobs, taxes, government spending, keeping our families and young people in Michigan, environment, education, health care are all reform areas they’ve committed to tackling and in a state with the challenges that Michigan has they’re all areas that NEED tackling.

During our interview with Mr. Calley he spoke candidly and openly with us about :

• Why he chose to drop his MI Senate campaign to join Rick Snyder
• His own daughter’s diagnosis of Autism this past year
• The importance to all Michigan tax payers of meaningful Autism Insurance this year and his own efforts to support this legislation.
• The need for groundbreaking Education Reform in Michigan
• Why merit pay for schools is important – and fair
• The approach he’s brining to tackling some sizeable MI challenges
• Four specific, no excuses things we can hold them accountable for changing in the next four years

• About Brian Calley – DetNews
• Brian Calley – GOP House Website
• Brian Calley – Facebook Page
• Brian Calley’s Voting Record

• The Bernero Education Plan vs. The Snyder Education Plan For Michigan
• Snyder – Calley Education Plan
  • Full White Paper of the Snyder-Calley Plan

* After listening to this interview don’t forget  to check out our interview with Gubernatorial candidate Rick Snyder fr0m earlier this year.

* To learn more about why Autism Insurance matters to you – even if you don’t have a loved one with Autism – please check out our interview with Autism Speaks spokesperson Lorri Unumb

Additional Autism Insurance Links

• Autism Insurance Michigan
• Autism Votes
• Autism Alliance of Michigan

For additional links please click here!

Click the player below to listen to the interview or click download to save it to your computer, phone or IPod to listen to later!

Hope you enjoy the interview!

Came across a product – aptly named – “Smelly Washer” that I saw recommended in our local Metro Parent magazine. Not that it’s a problem at OUR house …. but I might go out and pick up a bottle of this product tonight … you know to test, for research reasons but NOT because it’s a problem we have.

However, it did lead me to wonder – “Why would a WASHER (a product regularly using soap + water to CLEAN things) smell bad?  Fortunately, I was able to find some answers to this question:

There are a number of causes of mold odor in clothes washers.

• The main cause of front load or top load stink is overuse of detergents because the user is following directions for amount used.  If detergent has nothing to react against it will leave a residue on the inside of the washer that is a food source for mold and bacteria to grow.  A dark, moist clothes washer is the perfect environment for them to flourish so we need to control their food source.  Generally speaking, we’re washing only perfume and sweat from our clothing so we don’t need so much detergent.  Unless washing soiled clothing, no more than 1 tbsp of any detergent should be used.  This is especially important if using liquid detergent, if there is a water softener in the home or if using a municipal water supply.  For high efficiency washers it’s abosolutely necessary to use HE detergent (low sudsing).  Suds affect both the operation and longevity of high efficiency washing machines.

• Running a close second is fabric softener use.  Softener is dispensed in the rinse cycle and is also a food source for mold and bacteria to grow.  We recommend switching to dryer sheets or dryer balls.  Keep in mind that dryer sheets can also be overused and cause towels to be less absorbent and retain odor.  The sheets can be cut into halves or thirds and can even be reused.  Dryer balls are another option.  Click here to read more advice on the subject.

• The third not-so-common reason for clothes washer smells is using mainly cold water for washing.  Using mainly cold water for washing is fine… but it makes preventive maintenance very important.  Do your hottest wash or soak cycle as your last cycle on wash day or as preventive maintenance to dissolve residue.  If soaking very soiled articles do an extra rinse cycle.  Ensure the water supply hoses to your washer are properly connected so you’re getting hot washes and cold rinses when you want.  This problem is more common that you’d realize!

• Another cause of washing machine odor is non-use of the appliance.  If you are not going to use the washer for an extended period it’s a good idea to do a cleaning with a washing machine cleaner.  If leaving for a vacation shut the supply hoses off in case of a hose break.  Bleach or vinegar spilled on rubber water hoses will cause deterioration and eventually a ruptured hose to flood the laundry area.

• Obstructions in drain pumps can cause mold odor by reducing the flow of water when draining.  Almost all front load washers have a filter “trap” that is accessible to the owner.  Rather than immediately calling for appliance repair service consult your owners manual for instructions on accessing this trap.  (ALWAYS UNPLUG YOUR MACHINE OR SHUT OFF THE CIRCUIT BREAKER BEFORE REPAIR also have several towels nearby when working on a drain pump because there is always 1-2 gallons of water left in all washers even after draining.  It’s surprising what can make it through the washer and into the trap.  Bra wires, toys, coins and screws are common items that can cause the pump to jam or catch lint to cause draining problems to make your washer smell.  Go tohttp://www.ehow.com/how_6161420_clean-front-load-washing-machine.html for good instructions on how to clean the filter.  These instructions are for a Whirlpool or Maytag.  The procedure varies for other brands. Even though they don’t have filter traps objects can also jam pumps in top loading washers.  These objects can very often be removed and the pump can be saved rather than buying a new pump.

Source: click here

In our inaugural show on 1310 WDTW we had the great opportunity to interview Chef Ann Cooper – The Renegade Lunch Lady (this was after the unfortunate incident where I accidentally stuck my foot in the urinal which we discussed in the beginning of this same show – sorry Chef Ann).  Now I’ll admit, at first blush when Staci brought me the idea of interviewing a lunch lady it wasn’t very exciting to me ….

Sure, we talk about education and the importance of education and sure ….. the lunch lady is a part of the school/education team at our schools but let’s be honest when we think of raising our kids Reading and Math scores the mystery meat selection at lunch isn’t the first thing that springs to mind.

But, maybe it should be…..

After all, we all know how important nutrition is for our kids and the lunch (and for many kids even the their breakfast) being served at school is for some, their biggest, healthiest meal of the day.  Beyond that it’s also critical to their energy levels in the afternoon and a regular opportunity to expose kids to different foods. Not to mention the frequently missed opportunity to expand their understanding of nutrition and how that food impacts everything else in their lives.

Basic stuff? Sure.

Important lessons to understand? Sure.

Something we really need being passed along by the lunch lady? After talking a look at the high obesity levels in our country and poor nutrition in our country – maybe.

Especially if that lunch lady has the credentials, mission and high level of passion for food and nutrition that Chef  Ann has ….

Click the link above to check out her blog

Check out some of Chef Ann’s cool recipes (including snack recipes for “Pizza Wheels”, “Granola”, “Apple Date Bars and “Congee”)

Chef Ann isn’t a fan of the USDA Food Pyramid so she came up with her own resource – The Food Wheel. Click the pic above for more details.  I have to admit, I think her wheel is easier to understand and better laid out than the pyramid.

Learn more about the school lunch programs, how they work and how you can make changes within the system ~ here’s three GREAT resources!

Click the picture above to check it out for yourself ..

Click above….for details

Click above to read the guide

Salad Bars at schools.  Ridiculous?  Maybe so … except in the schools that have tried it and are getting great results.

Click the link below to listen to our interview with Chef Ann Cooper on the “My Great Kid Radio Program”!

I wanted to share with you a great site that I’ve been using with my son this summer, it’s called:

(click me to check it out)

It’s a site that allows you to quickly and easily create math worksheets for addition, subtraction, multiplication, division or a mix of all of the above.  In addition to that it also allows you to churn out great worksheets for money and time.

Now, I’m not going to lie to ya’ this isn’t the fanciest site in the world nor is it terribly groundbreaking.  Yes, there are a number of similar sites out there.  What I like about it though is that it’s:

• Free – which fits my budget
• Relatively free of advertising ( rare w/ free sites)
• Quick to use
• Easy to use
• Easy to customize
• Got good customizing options available

Too many of the Math worksheet sites out there are so cluttered or confusing it takes forever to just get a sheet.  Many of the others don’t let you customize your sheets easily.

I really recommend it for Time and Money because it churns out sheets that are clear and easy to read with real looking coins and clear numbers for the clocks.

We’ve used it mostly for Time and Money review along with kicking out a mixed sheet of general Math every couple of days.

It has some other features which look useful but we haven’t used as much this summer including: a flashcard maker, pre-made sheets (honestly it’s so easy to create your own I haven’t used the pre-made sheets yet), a recently added word problem generator (only easy level currently), fill in the blank multiplication tables and a cool quick Maze generator (which we’ve used for Brain breaks).

If you’re looking for a quick worksheet creator for Math through roughly 4th – 5th Grade I give this site two big thumbs up!

Do you have any sites that you like for this kind of work?

Sample Worksheets

• Find Total Value Of Your Money – Easy Level, Showing Both Sides of The Coins, All Coins
• Draw In The Clock Hands – Medium Level, Medium Sized Clocks
• Adding – Find The Missing Amount, Number Range 1 to 100
• Word Problem Sample

Wednesday

and

Tuesday at 3:00pm

If you pull nothing else out of our interview with Fare Compare those two pieces of information alone will save you thousands.

Why Wednesday?

• It’s the best (meaning cheapest) day to fly.

Tuesday at 3:00pm?

• That’s the cheapest time to book those tickets.

But those two tips are just the start of the great information from Rick  Seaney at Fare Compare who gave us a TON of great travel tips that are really wallet savers and his site should, in all honesty, be the first place you go when trying to plan that airline trip.

Why?  What makes it so special?

First of all it is PACKED with information including :

• When To Buy
• When To Fly

My two personal favorite parts of their site:

• How Much Will That Bag Cost Me?
• A Fee For What? All The Fees – By Airline

Secondly, it’s also regularly updated with great, money saving travel tips like this one Avoid The Most Expensive Days which give a DAY BY DAY breakdown of the Peak Surcharges charged by each airline through Feb. 2011.

How cool is that (the chart not the way the airlines are ripping us off)!

Third, there’s also a constant flow of great articles like:

• Five Ways To Get A Cheap 1st Class Seat
• How To Screw Up Your Chances Of Getting A Cheap Ticket
• The Airline Gotchas
• The Worst Passengers On The Plane

Finally, while the articles are great the main point of the site is to give you the best air fare no matter where you’re going and they do a great job of that.  Best of all since they don’t actually sell you the tickets (they just compare all of the rates and then give you the results) you don’t have to worry about any conflicts of interest …. they give you the best rates. Period.

Tons of tools.

Great savings.

Informative articles.

We hope you enjoy the interview where we cover as much as possible to help get your family the best airline travel experience available.  Please send us your top travel tips!

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Other Great Airline Travel Sites We Couldn’t Do Without

I’m a big guy with long legs so seating matters to me – alot.  Location of the bathrooms matter to my wife and son …. all things that can be found on:

• Seat Guru
• Seat Expert

Whether you’re the one flying or waiting for someone coming in this site is one of my favorites (plus you’ve got to admit it’s kind of cool watching your little plane en route)

• Flight Stats

I’ll be honest this last one is a new one that I haven’t used yet but looks to have some great stuff including arrivals, departures, detailed seat maps and state information with a listing of all of the airports in the state along with their arrivals, departures and airport summaries …

• Flight Arrivals

And lastly this one, which might not be as useful as the above links, but it is really interesting.  It  shows pictures of Airline meals including pictures of crew meals and meals from the 50′s – 80′s when you could actually get real meals with real plates and silverware.

• Airline Meals